Meghan Markle I Was Under Total Control Before ... Making My Own Calls Now!!!

THE TIME IS RIGHT
CBS
UPDATE

10:07 AM PT -- Chrissy Teigen has now run to Meghan's defense ... suggesting Meghan's pregnancy could be at risk if the Royal family continues its perceived smear campaign against her.

UPDATE

Meghan Markle's memory of a phone call from Oprah in 2018 makes it sound like the then duchess-to-be was being held captive by the Royal Family.

O just released another clip from her highly anticipated interview with Meghan and Prince Harry ... where Oprah recalls calling Meghan months before her royal wedding to request an interview and being politely turned down. Back then, Meghan said the timing wasn't right, but now she says that was an excuse forced on her.

The reality was, according to Meghan ... "I wasn't even allowed to have that conversation with you personally, right? There had to be people from the comm., sitting there."

Meghan says the timing is right now, though, because she and Harry finally have the ability to make their own choices.

She also suggests that people can't imagine what it was like to leave her independent life and enter the "construct" of the monarchy.

WHAT DO THEY EXPECT?
CBS

As we reported ... the Duke and Duchess' interview with Oprah has promised to be "shocking," and the couple's essentially declared war against Queen Elizabeth and Buckingham Palace by accusing them of spreading "falsehoods" about them.

Get your popcorn ready!

Originally Published -- 6:36 AM PT

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle It's War!!! Palace Spreading Lies, We Won't Take It

WHAT DO THEY EXPECT?
CBS

The gloves are off for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who are now flat out accusing Buckingham Palace of spreading lies about them, and insisting they can't be silenced.

In a new clip from their upcoming interview, Oprah asks Meghan if she's worried about the palace hearing "your truth" ... and Meghan responds by directly calling out Buckingham -- aka The Firm.

She said, "I don't know how they could expect that after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that the Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us."

If it sounds like Harry and Meghan are ready to go to war, it's because they are. Several Royals insiders say it's no coincidence stories came out this week accusing Meghan of bullying her staff when they lived in Kensington Palace.

The insinuation is Queen Elizabeth's team is behind those leaks, and it's a direct response to what Buckingham believes Harry and Meghan are about to say when the Oprah interview airs Sunday on CBS.

Meghan makes it clear ... she and her husband really don't have much to lose by speaking out now, because they've already quit their roles as Senior members of the Royal family.

In other words, nobody puts Meghan and Harry in the corner ... not even QE2. Or so they think.

Meghan Markle I'm No Bully ... She Denies Claims, Royal HR Team Investigating

UPDATE

10:45 AM PT -- The Queen's people say they are "clearly very concerned" about the allegations against Meghan ... and the HR team's looking into them.

UPDATE

According to Buckingham Palace ... staff members, current and former, involved at the time of the alleged bullying outlined in reports "will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned."

UPDATE

It adds that the Royal Household "does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace."

Meghan Markle says she knows what it's like to experience bullying, but denies dishing it out ... something Kensington Palace staff have accused her of doing.

According to a spokesperson for Meghan and Prince Harry ... "The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself."

The spokesperson says Meghan's "deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma" and is "determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good."

All this comes in response to UK reports Tuesday the Duchess faced a bullying complaint in October 2018 -- made by her former communications secretary, Jason Knauf.

Meghan allegedly drove 2 personal assistants out of her household with her treatment, undermined the confidence of another worker and would occasionally reduce staff to tears ... according to the reports.

A report from The Times also claims that during a trip to Fiji in 2018, Meghan wore earrings that were a wedding gift from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia ... the same man who has been accused of allowing the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan called the recent bullying report a "calculated smear campaign" by Buckingham Palace against the couple, and said it was no coincidence the report came out just days before their sit-down with Oprah.

A royal source reportedly told MailOnline the recent allegations were in no way an orchestrated attack, and that aides are currently focused on the declining health of Prince Philip.

A SIT-DOWN WITH OPRAH
CBS

Despite what The Palace has said, it's hard not to question the timing of everything -- Meghan and Harry's potentially explosive sit-down interview with Oprah about dealing with the Royal Family and the British media is set to air Sunday.

The Duke and Duchess also recently made it official they will not be returning to their roles as senior royals after stepping back from their duties last year.

Originally Published -- 6:36 AM PT

Ice Cube Rips Warner Bros Over 'Friday' ... Let Me Make Sequels!!!

Ice Cube is just as pissed as you are that there hasn't been a "Friday" sequel in nearly 20 years, and he's blaming Warner Bros for blocking the franchise.

Cube just fired a shot at WB on Twitter, claiming the media giant is refusing to hand him the reins on the "Friday" franchise to make more sequels, and thus hijacking the "happiness of the culture."

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Ice Cube has been really pissed off with how he's been treated by Warner Bros through the years, and the dispute over more sequels is just the tip of the iceberg -- no pun intended.

Our sources say WB owns the rights to the 'Friday' franchise, and the studio doesn't seem interested in making any more sequels at the moment. The OG "Friday" was released in 1995, followed by 2000's "Next Friday" and 2002's "Friday After Next."

We're told Cube is pissed because Warner Bros is refusing to release the rights to him so he can produce sequels somewhere else ... and our sources say Cube feels like the 'Friday' franchise is his art, and if WB doesn't want to make more movies they should give him the rights so he can.

We reached out to WB ... so far no word back.

Tekashi 6ix9ine Rap Beefs Could Hurt Daughter ... Baby Mama Fears

Tekashi 6ix9ine's free to run his mouth because he has bodyguards, but his baby mama says she doesn't ... and fears his escalating beefs are putting their little girl in harm's way.

Sara Molina tells TMZ ... she thinks the rapper's been unhinged lately, going off on Instagram Live tirades and trading barbs with Chicago rappers like Lil Reese and 600 Breezy.

TRASH TALKIN'

Sara says unlike 6ix9ine -- who can afford hired muscle to keep him safe while he stokes feuds with other rappers -- she and their 5-year-old, Saraiyah, are much more exposed ... and she's concerned they might become a target for his enemies.

6ix9ine's baby mama also claims he hasn't made any attempt to rekindle his relationship with Saraiyah -- so he's oblivious to the potential danger to her.

2/14/2021
LOUD IN THE LOT

Sara tells us she doesn't want anything from Tekashi other than to think about their daughter's safety and stop provoking possible violence, stay inside, and stay away from them.

6ix9ine's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, is pointing the finger right back at Sara though, telling us ... "What she says is all BS." He adds that everything the rapper does is for a reason and he's as "sharp as can be.”

Larry King Widow Contests Handwritten Will ... We Could've Made Up!!!

The battle over Larry King's estate is getting nasty ... his widow's contesting his handwritten will, which left everything to his kids and nothing to her.

Larry's seventh wife, Shawn Southwick King, claims in new legal docs ... the late talk show host was no longer pushing their divorce case and reconciliation was possible before he died.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Shawn claims Larry's handwritten will does not change her position as executor under his 2015 will, and also violates 2 post-nuptial agreements between Larry and her regarding his ability to give gifts to his children. So, in her book the new will has no legal effect.

As we first told you ... Larry scribbled his most recent will on October 17, 2019, about 2 months after filing for divorce from Shawn, saying he wanted his funds equally divided among his children.

According to the docs, Shawn claims Larry suffered a stroke around the time he hand-wrote his latest will, and she's arguing he had "questionable mental capacity" at the time.

One of Larry's surviving sons, Larry King Jr., has filed docs asking to be appointed a special administrator of the estate, noting his father was in the middle of divorce proceedings when he died ... but Shawn claims Larry didn't even know about Jr. until his son was well into his 30s.

In the docs, Shawn also claims Larry Jr. received improper gifts from his father's secret account, so he can't be the one to administer the estate ... and besides, she says she's the one with the most knowledge about Larry's businesses, assets and wishes.

As we reported, Shawn was butting heads with Larry's children right around the time he filed for divorce.

According to documents, Larry's estate is worth about $2 million, but a lot more is likely held in separate trusts.

Shawn wants the judge to deny Larry Jr.'s request to admit the handwritten will and deny his request to become special administrator of the estate.

Meek vs. Tekashi Face-To-Face, Almost Fighting

2/14/2021
LOUD IN THE LOT

Tekashi 6ix9ine and Meek Mill came an inch from trading punches early Sunday morning ... as their long-standing beef reached a boiling point.

The 2 men were at KOMODO in Miami and as Meek was getting in his car to leave, Tekashi appeared and they both started jawboning. In the video, you hear both rappers and their security yelling at each other. It looks like Tekashi is trying to lunge at Meek.

Tekashi is hurling insults at Meek, accusing him of working with cops ... yes, the irony is not lost on us.

They went from face-to-face to social media where it continued, 6ix9ne posting, “STOP LETTING THESE RAPPERS LIE TO YOU! THEY TO TOUGH FOR SECURITY @meekmill RUNNING AROUND WITH POLICE.”

Meek's response ... "69 waited out side the club for me they tryna get usssssss wtf ... We did not run into eachother I was getting in my car he just popped out ....we almost was smoking on that 69 pack for the love of a viral moment ..... he tryna get something locked up no cap lol"

And then, Meek lowered the boom ... “The feds sent him to take me out wtf. [I] had to spit on him so he retreated lol he really waited outside the club for me. I thought I was dreaming wtf we almost smoked him lol he posed a lil threat popping up in the parking lot waiting for me.”

Meek and Tekashi have squared off ever since Tekashi cooperated with the FBI in getting members of the Nine Trey Bloods locked up.

In May Meek tweeted ... "I hope that rat going live to apologize to the people he told on or the victim..... Y’all forgot that fast a “rat” killed nipsey he wasn’t suppose to be on the streets! That’s the only thing ima day because he’s dead... left his baby mom and child like a coward as targets!"

Jon Jones Will Fight Winner of Stipe vs. Ngannou ... Dana White Says

Good news fight fans ... Jon Jones will face the winner of Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou, so says Dana White.

The UFC honcho says Jon has made it clear that's the fight he wants -- it'll be his first fight after leaving the light heavyweight division to join the heavyweight ranks.

Stipe and Francis are set to do battle at UFC 260 in March -- and Dana tells TMZ Sports he's hoping to book the winner to fight Jones by the end of the year ... maybe even as soon as the summer.

LOTS TO BE EXCITED ABOUT
TMZSports.com

33-year-old Jones is considered by many (including Dana) to be the greatest UFC fighter of all time -- dominating the UFC's LHW division since 2008.

There's more ... we also asked Dana about rumors Georges St-Pierre is training for a UFC comeback ... but White shut that down real fast.

"No, he's definitely not training for a UFC fight. The guy's an athlete and he loves to train, he loves to workout. I'm sure he's just staying in shape."

What about Khabib?

"Yeah, he's in Vegas. We're gonna go to dinner soon and talk. We'll get together for the last time -- well for the last time maybe as a UFC fighter or not as a UFC fighter."

So, is there a chance he takes one last fight?

"I think there's still a chance, yes."

As for Nate Diaz ... he recently told ESPN's Ariel Helwani he'd like to fight Dustin Poirier or Charles Oliveira in 2021. Will he get his wish?

"I honestly don't know. We gotta see how this whole thing plays out. You got Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Oliveira, Chandler, Ferguson and Conor and at #7, Rafael dos Anjos who's a bad boy too. So, we'll see how this whole thing plays out."

Dana confirms the UFC has been in touch with Diaz and he confirms "he is interested in fighting."

Yep, we also asked about Conor McGregor's future ... and Dana says a rematch with Dustin Poirier around May "makes sense" at the moment.

"We'll see if we can put that together with those two but if not, there's a million other fights we can make."

2021 ... big year!!!

Michael Irvin Tom Brady Didn't Call Mathieu A Racial Slur Super Bowl Audio Proves It

Michael Irvin says he's heard secret audio from the Super Bowl ... and it proves Tom Brady did NOT call Tyrann Mathieu a racial slur during their trash-talking at the big game.

Brady and the Honey Badger got in each other's faces multiple times during the Buccaneers' blowout of the Chiefs, and afterward, Mathieu accused the Tampa Bay QB of muttering something nasty his way.

"He called me something I won't repeat," Mathieu said, "but yeah I'll let all the media throw me under the bus as if I did something or said something to him."

Many thought this implied that Brady had perhaps used racial language on the field ... but Irvin says audio picked up on hot mics showed that flat-out didn't happen.

Irvin -- who has access to the clips through his work as an analyst on Showtime's "Inside The NFL" -- explained on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Tuesday he was upset with Mathieu after audio revealed Brady didn't cross any racial lines with his talk.

"I didn't like that Tyrann Mathieu put that out like that," Irvin said ... "Because, I go, come on now. It makes it sound as if -- it makes people want to know, 'What'd he say?'"

"As if he said the n-word. And he did not. Tom did not. So, you know, I didn't like that even looming over this situation. So that's why I think we should clean that up somewhere, somehow."

Irvin added, "That's what I'm saying. [Brady] didn't say that."

As for what Brady did say ... Irvin says he could not reveal that due to directives from "Inside The NFL" show producers.

"This was just two guys competing," Irvin explained. "That's what that is. Just two guys competing."

For Mathieu and Brady's part, we're told they squashed their beef shortly after it all began ... with Brady sending a text to the K.C. superstar apologizing for the in-game back and forth.

The Miz to Bad Bunny WrestleMania??? Stay In Your Lane!!! ... Or I'll Break Your Jaw

FEBRUARY 2021
STAY IN YOUR LANE!!!
TMZSports.com

WWE Superstar The Miz says Bad Bunny better think twice before entering the ring at WrestleMania ... telling TMZ Sports he will straight-up BREAK THE DUDE'S JAW if he even tries!!

There's major beef between the two after the Puerto Rican rap star made his wrestling debut at Royal Rumble earlier this month -- BB helped eliminate Miz and his partner, Morrison, from the match ... and hit 'em with a frog splash in the process.

We spoke with The Miz about rumors BB could team up with Damian Priest to continue his feud with M&M at WrestleMania ... and the dude has some advice for the newcomer.

"Let's put it this way," Miz tells us. "Bad Bunny is an amazing artist, right? He has a ton of people, a ton of fans. He has like 1.1 billion views on his YouTube videos, all his music videos have so many people watching."

"Stay in your lane! Like that's what you do! I'm a WWE superstar! That is what I do, that is my job! You are a musician! Be a musician!"

He didn't stop there -- "Look, he makes a lot of money being a musician. So, go do that. Keep on making that money because the fact is, if you come into the WWE ring, I'm gonna break your jaw and when I break your jaw, you're gonna need a lot of money."

Miz says the ship has sailed for BB's chances at being a WWE Superstar ... and he simply hasn't put in the time to deserve a shot at WrestleMania.

"It takes years upon years to be a WWE Superstar, to get into a WWE ring and WrestleMania. These are moments that we have that we worked for."

Miz has A LOT more to say ... and explains what happens when he first asked Bad Bunny to collab in the studio. Here's a preview:

"You don't come to my house and put your dirty shoes on my carpet. You just don't. You get thrown out the house."

So yeah ... watch the clip.

Barstool Sports' Billy Football I'm Gonna Destroy Jose Canseco ... 'Shock The World'

DON'T BE FOOLED
TMZSports.com

Ex-MLB superstar Jose Canseco is boxing a 22-year-old Barstool Sports intern TONIGHT ... and the intern tells us why he's convinced he's gonna BEAT the 56-year-old's ass.

Jose's opponent is Billy Football -- who's VERY confident he can send the former slugger to the canvas when they clash in the main event of Barstool's "Rough N' Rowdy 13" card in West Virginia Friday night.

"I have a very, very competitive side to me that's gonna come out Friday night," Billy tells us.

"I think I'm gonna shock Jose. Jose has misjudged me and I think -- as a lot of people would -- they don't actually know who I am and what I can sort of accomplish."

The whole thing stemmed from a beef between Jose and Alex Rodriguez -- with the "Pardon My Take" intern ultimately volunteering to take on Canseco, despite having zero experience as a pro athlete. You can see the full story in this video ...

There's a big size difference between the two men -- Jose is 270 lbs, Billy is 225 -- but Mr. Football says he's not scared.

"It's gonna be very fun to shock the world and show everyone that 'Oh, hey this guy's for real'. This isn't just some s***-show that got thrown together."

Since the fight was slammed together on a month's notice, Billy says his training focused more on stamina than power. But, let's be honest, he's gonna need both.

No matter who emerges victorious, Billy says he hopes the two can be friends after the fight.

"He's gonna end up respecting me and hopefully at the end of it, we can go hunting Big Foot together. But first, we got some stuff to deal with it. It's gonna be a great fight. I'm excited."

'Courtside Karen' Apologizes for Cussing Out LeBron 'I Take Full Responsibility'

UPDATE

1:10 PM PT -- "Courtside Karen" is now "Mea Culpa Karen?"

UPDATE

Juliana Carlos is publicly apologizing for screaming, yelling and cussing at LeBron James during Monday night's game ... saying she takes "full responsibility" for crossing the line.

UPDATE

"To say things escalated quickly at yesterday's game is an understatement, and I want to apologize for losing my cool and removing my mask in the heat of the moment," Juliana said in a statement.

UPDATE

"My husband is a huge sports fan and we're passionate people, and let's be real; sports wouldn't be sports without a little trash-talking."

UPDATE

She continued, "What should have been quick back-and-forth between two adults got out of hand and my natural instinct to stand up for the man I love kicked in."

UPDATE

"Did I get defensive when that happened? Yes. Did I use offensive language when I could have taken the higher road? yes. And for these things, I take full responsibility."

UPDATE

Will King James accept??? Stay tuned ..

She came. She saw. She got ejected for cussing out LeBron James!!!!

A woman and her husband were removed from the Lakers vs. Hawks game in Atlanta on Monday night for going absolutely nuclear on LeBron from the sideline ... and man, it's insane!!

The woman is Juliana Carlos -- an Instagram model who attended the game with her husband, Chris Carlos.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

The couple was sitting courtside -- when the woman claims her husband got into a heated verbal argument with LeBron (which Bron confirmed after the game).

Juliana decided to get involved ... and began screaming, cussing and flipping off James from her insanely expensive seats causing a huge scene!

Worth noting ... the woman was initially wearing a COVID mask, but removed it to yell at LeBron.

In fact, the scene got so wild the refs stopped the game and the woman -- along with her husband and 2 others -- were all ejected from the building.

While she was getting the boot, Juliana flipped on her IG Live and gave her side of the story ... complete with threats and LOTS of F-bombs!!

SHE HECKLES & SHE RANTS
Julianaacarlos / Instagram

"So, I'm minding my own business, and Chris has been a Hawks fan forever," Juliana explained ...  "He has this issue with LeBron. I don't have an issue with LeBron. I don't give a f**k about LeBron."

"Anyway, I'm minding my own business, drinking, having fun. All of the sudden, LeBron says something to my husband, and I see this and I stand up. And, I go, 'Don't f***ing talk to my husband.' And, he looks at me and he goes, 'Sit the f**k down, b*tch.'"

"And I go, 'Don't f**king call me a b*tch. You sit the f**k down. Get the f**k out of here. Don't f**king talk to my husband like that.'"

She was FIRED UP!!!!

After the game -- which the Lakers won 107 to 99 -- Bron was asked about the incident.

"At the end of the day, I'm happy fans are back in the building," Bron said with a straight face ... "I miss that interaction. I need that interaction."

As for the couple, Bron thinks booze may have been a factor -- "They might have had a couple drinks, maybe."

"I don't think taking down the mask harmed anybody," Bron added ... "I wasn't close enough to her."

Bron expressed concern for a few of the refs who got close to the woman -- "I hope they're okay. Safety first."

The NBA legend then dropped a tweet -- saying, "Courtside Karen was MAD MAD!!"

She sure was.

Originally published -- 5:58 AM PT

Rep. Cori Bush Majorie Taylor Greene Is a Menace ... Shape Up, or Ship Out!!!

GREENE IS AN OUTAGE
MSNBC

Congresswoman Cori Bush may have moved her office away from Marjorie Taylor Greene, but she's anything but afraid of her ... rather Bush has given Greene an ultimatum.

Bush vented her anger toward her white supremacist colleague Friday night on Joy Reid's show ... incredulous that Greene is somehow equating mask-wearing to the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Congresswoman describes the confrontation they had in one of the tunnels connected to the Capitol, when she implored Greene to put on a mask.

But, that was only the beginning. You hear the frustration in Bush's voice as she describes how all of the rules and conventions have been shattered now that members are verbally attacking their colleagues and their staff in the hallways. She's also livid some members are carrying guns onto the House floor.

As we reported, Greene has embraced calls for the assassination of Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton ... again, something that's hard to fathom.

Bush says Greene needs to either follow the rules or pack her stuff and get the hell out of Dodge. The reality ... Republicans have the power to expel her, but the votes aren't there.

50 Cent I'd Love to Fight Floyd Mayweather ... But Floyd's Too Small

LET'S FIGHT!
V-103

50 Cent says there's one guy he'd love to punch in the face -- Floyd Mayweather -- but he doesn't think Floyd would ever agree to throw down.

Everyone knows the backstory ... 50 and Floyd used to be super tight -- but they've had SEVERAL falling outs over the years and it seems like the relationship is still fractured.

So, when 50 appeared on V-103's "The Morning Culture" show Friday and was asked who he'd like to square off against in a celebrity boxing match, it wasn't too shocking when the rapper dropped Floyd's name.

"I'd fight Floyd," 50 Cent said ... adding, "I don't think I can make weight though."

50 pointed out Floyd usually fights around 150 lbs -- and the 45-year-old rapper says there's just no way he can slim down to match Floyd's weight.

50 claims the last time he dropped to 150, "I looked like a homeless person."

Instead, 50 says he thinks he could fight at 180 lbs ... which is closer in weight to Floyd's next opponent, Logan Paul, who fights around 190 lbs.

Let's get serious ... everyone would watch Floyd vs. 50 -- especially since 50 has real boxing training under his belt and reportedly stays in solid shape.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Remember, the two used to be super tight -- 50 famously walked Floyd to ring when he fought Oscar De La Hoya back in the day.

But, they've since beefed about everything from Floyd's reading skills to 50's financial situation ... and the hatchet appears to be far from buried.

So, Floyd ... you down?

Rep. Cori Bush Marjorie Taylor Greene Came After Me!!! Greene Says She's the Victim

UPDATE

11:28 AM PT -- Rep. Greene says Rep. Bush is lying about the confrontation and she's the one who was berated by Bush, not the other way around.

UPDATE

MTG just posted video of the incident from inside the halls of Congress, and in the clip she's walking with her mask below her chin and ranting into the camera when someone yells at her to put on her mask. Greene puts her mask over her nose and mouth and yells back. She says the heated exchange shows the temperature in Congress.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Bush says the incident happened Jan. 13, one day after other members of Congress tested positive for COVID, and says she called out Greene for not wearing the mask properly out of concern for colleagues and staff.

UPDATE

Rep. Bush says Greene and her staff's response was berating, and claims one Greene staffer yelled, "Stop inciting violence with Black Lives Matter."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is under fire again, and this time from other members of Congress ... Rep. Cori Bush claims a maskless Greene berated her in a Capitol hallway.

The newly-elected Congresswoman from Missouri sounds shaken by the alleged incident ... she says she's moving her office on Capitol Hill as far away from Greene's as possible.

Rep. Bush says Greene wasn't alone during the incident ... she had backup from her staff. She also points out Greene had already targeted her and others on social media.

As we've reported ... Greene, the freshman Congresswoman from Georgia, is getting heat for old Facebook activity suggesting she was cool with executing Democrats like Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. MTG says it's just "fake news."

Rep. Bush doesn't want to just move her office away from Greene's ... she says she wants MTG booted from Congress for inciting the insurrection.

Originally Published -- 10:55 AM PT

GameStop What Stock Surge??? All Calm at Stores, Except in Cleveland!!!

GameStop's wild stock market ride is all the rage in the investment world, but to employees at the brick-and-mortar stores ... it's had little impact on their workday, unless they happen to work in Cleveland.

TMZ reached out to GameStop locations in 20 major U.S. cities to see if they've seen an increase in customers due to the frenzy caused by the WallStreetBets group on Reddit.

Sixteen stores -- including those in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, Houston, Memphis, Nashville, Portland, Phoenix, Seattle, San Fran and San Diego -- said it was status quo as far as customers.

IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM
TMZ.com

One thing hedge fund managers, and even WallStreetBets founder Jaime Rogozinski, agree on is GameStop's future isn't bright. Hell, 3 stores -- in Miami, Philly and NYC -- told us biz has been slower than usual. Miami had a whopping 8 customers Thursday.

However, Cleveland is the exception, where they say sales are up 100% compared to last week. We're told several customers at that branch credited the stock surge story for inspiring them to visit and support GameStop ... so it doesn't go under.

On the flip side ... the manager of a Minneapolis location tells us he got an angry call from someone upset they couldn't trade GameStop shares on Robinhood.

As we've reported ... the stock-buying frenzy of GameStop, AMC, BlackBerry and a handful of other companies resulted in Robinhood shutting down trading for them, which pissed off retail investors who believe the move only benefits hedge funds.

WOLF'S WISDOM
TMZ.com

Robinhood's decision has already led to it getting sued, and has fueled the debate of what is acceptable, responsible and fair in the Wall Street world ... and even the 'Wolf' has weighed in on it.

Old news is old news!
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