Money

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have jumped into the Spotify/Joe Rogan fracas ... urging the platform to blunt "serious harms" over COVID misinformation.

As you know, the couple has a lucrative deal with Spotify -- $30 mil -- but they've come out swinging, with their rep saying, "Since the inception of Archewell, we have worked to address the real-time global misinformation crisis. Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the serious harms of rampant mis- and disinformation every day."

The rep went on ...  "Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all-too-real consequences of COVID-19 misinformation on its platform. We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis. We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does.”

As we reported, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and now Nils Lofgren have yanked their music off Spotify, in protest of Rogan. Meghan and Harry have not pulled the plug ... instead, they're just asking.

Here's the latest offering in Las Vegas and a sign of things to come ... one famous strip club is now accepting cryptocurrency for lap dances!!!

The good folks over at Crazy Horse III tell TMZ ... customers can now pay for their dances with Bitcoin, and they're one of the only strip clubs in the country where you can use digital currency for adult entertainment.

CH3 says the Bitcoin option will allow folks to get lap dances and tip entertainers with no paper trail at all ... which, of course, makes it totally COVID-safe with no paper money getting exchanged.

Here's how it works ... guests scan a QR code for an instant Bitcoin payment transaction through their crypto wallet, trading Bitcoin for "dance dollars" which are valid towards lap dances and tips.

The gentlemen's club started accepting Bitcoin for VIP bottle purchase packages back in July 2020, but high customer demand moved them to expand cryptocurrency's buying power.

Kamaru Usman may be down to fight Israel Adesanya after all -- that is IF the money's right -- according to manager Ali Abdelaziz, who tells TMZ Sports he wants his fighter to go up a weight class to attain a 2nd UFC title.

"I want him to beat Leon Edwards and I want him to go fight Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title," Abdelaziz said when speaking about his top-ranked pound-for-pound client.

Kamaru, the 170 lb. champ, and Izzy, the 185 lb. champ, have always shut down talks of them fighting ... because they're both Nigerian.

But, Ali doesn't believe that'd stop them if it came down to it.

"These guys, they're cool but I don't think they like best friends. Listen, if there's enough money for both of them, they'll fight in the parking lot. I know how people work. This has nothing to do with loyalty."

Abdelaziz continued, talking about the importance of attaining a title in 2 divisions.

"I like Israel, I love watching him. I'm a huge fan. He's a nice guy, but at the end of the day, I'm Kamaru Usman team all the way. I want to see Kamaru Usman before end of the road have two titles. I'm selfish. I'm greedy. Like Henry Cejudo says, I'm a gold digger."

In fact, Ali says Usman is even considering going up 2-weight classes ... all the way to 205 lbs.

"Kamaru's thinking about going to a light heavyweight and fight Jan Blachowicz, not fight Adesanya."

Of course, Jan lost his last fight to Glover Teixeira and is no longer the champ.

But, the point remains ... Kamaru is considering going up 35 lbs. and fighting a man who's significantly bigger than him -- a fight Abdelaziz believes his guy would win rather easily.

"Styles make fights. Kamaru will beat Jan for five rounds straight."

But first -- before an Israel, Jan, or matchup with anyone else -- the Nigerian Nightmare has to beat Leon Edwards ... who hasn't lost since (you guessed it) he was beaten by Usman in 2015.

Hundreds of people are lining up to support Patrick Mahomes' fiancee ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned thousands of "Team Brittany" shirts have already sold in just one day.

A rep for Charlie Hustle -- the shirt company that partnered with Brittany Matthews to make the tees in the wake of her Arrowhead Stadium champagne celebration backlash -- tells us the shirts have sold so quickly ... there's now a waiting list for the item.

In total, through the first 24 hours-or-so of sales, the rep said more than 2,000 units have been bought.

"The community reaction for the initiative has been overwhelmingly positive," the rep said. "The message that we are trying to convey is to be kind to one another."

As we previously reported, Matthews and Charlie Hustle combined to create the shirts with the goal of stopping bullying.

Matthews said Thursday that the shirt co. came up with the idea after she said she was "attacked" by fans who were putting her down for spraying bubbly following K.C.'s epic win last weekend.

The shirt co. tells us 25% of the proceeds (each tee costs $36) will go to the Red Card KC -- a foundation in Kansas City that aims to prevent bullying -- and Matthews also said she'd be matching the final donation.

Matthews actually stopped by the shirt store in K.C. on Friday ... and was "blown away" by the reaction it's all getting.

"This is just so incredible," Matthews said. "From the bottom of my heart, I can not thank you guys enough."

Patrick's Mahomes' fiancée is parlaying all the hate from her champagne celebration and putting it to good use -- by creating "Team Brittany" shirts for an anti-bullying charity.

Remember, Brittany Matthews was ripped on social media for spraying bubbly on fans at Arrowhead Stadium after the Chiefs' overtime thriller victory over the Bills last weekend.

BM initially returned fire, saying she was tired of routinely being "attacked" ... but switched it up after she spoke with Charlie Hustle, a local t-shirt designer and seller, about making "Team Brittany" shirts.

"Me and my team have decided to try to turn this buzz into something and something good for the Kansas City community," Matthews said Thursday via IG.

"We have decided that part of the proceeds from the sales of this shirt are gonna go to Red Card KC which is a local charity here in Kansas City that works to prevent bullying."

The 26-year-old says she gets bullied all the time on the net ... so it means a lot that she's able to help.

"I do receive a lot of hate on a daily basis on social media and I know so so so many other people do as well," Matthews said.

"That's why I'm just proud to partner with this company and get behind this cause and hopefully push everything into the right direction and start spreading some more positivity on all of these platforms."

The future Mrs. Mahomes may get another shot at a post-game celebration this Sunday ... if the Chiefs beat the Bengals in the AFC Championship.

Chris Brown allegedly raped a woman on a yacht parked at Diddy's Star Island home ... this according to a new $20 million lawsuit.

The singer is being sued by a Jane Doe who says she's a professional choreographer, dancer, model and musical artist ... and she claims Chris went from being friendly to raping her, in a matter of minutes.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the woman claims Chris grabbed the phone of a friend she was FaceTiming and urged her to come to Diddy's home ASAP on Miami's Star Island.

When she arrived there on Dec. 30, 2020, the woman claims Chris approached her and asked her if she wanted a drink, motioning her toward the kitchen area on the yacht.

In the docs, she claims she entered the kitchen with Chris, where he gave her a red cup with a mixed drink and they started talking. After he filled her cup a second time, she claims began to feel "a sudden, unexplained change in consciousness."

According to the suit, the woman claims she also felt "disoriented, physically unstable, and started to fall in and out of sleep" ... and that's when she says Chris led her into a bedroom while she was "drugged" and "half-asleep."

In the docs, the woman claims Chris closed the bedroom door, barring her attempt to leave, removed her bikini bottoms and started kissing her. She says she mumbled for Chris to stop, but he persisted and raped her.

The woman claims Chris ejaculated inside her, jumped up and announced he was "done."

She claims Chris texted her the next day and demanded she take Plan B. Although she was distraught, she claims she did exactly that.

She's suing Chris for $20 million in damages ... claiming the alleged rape is causing her severe emotional distress.

The woman's attorneys, Ariel Mitchell and George Vrabeck, tell us their client did not report the alleged rape to cops at the time because was a medical student and was embarrassed.

Mitchell and Vrabeck also say they're "committed to victims being heard and would urge anyone with information to contact them."

Serena Williams has just added yet another amazing achievement to her resume ... one of her rookie cards just sold for $117,000, making it the most expensive women's sports card ever made.

TMZ Sports has confirmed the 1999 Sports Illustrated For Kids piece just sold at the PWCC January Premier Auction ... and its $117k price tag shattered the previous record for a women's sports card (also set by Williams) by nearly $75,000.

The card is incredible -- because it came out of a perforated set in a Sports Illustrated For Kids magazine over two decades ago, not many survived at all ... but this one was somehow given a perfect 10 rating.

The rare piece -- which features a young Serena in the middle of a forehand shot -- has perfect corners and perfect centering.

On the back, it has a description of her game, which started out with the sentence, "Serena is the hottest rising star in women's tennis."

Another Serena card, meanwhile, also sold for big coin at the PWCC auction this month -- with a 2003 Netpro Elite Glossy Tennis Serena Williams Rookie card fetching $96,000.

PWCC exec Jesse Craig tells us the huge dollar amount for the cards "really solidify [Serena] as one of the Greatest of All Times in tennis -- be it men's or women's."

"This is also a huge milestone for women’s sports cards in general as it breaks the six-figure sales barrier for the first time," Craig added.

Craig continued, saying the prices also show "collectors consider her as one of the greatest athletes of all time regardless of the sport."

'Jeopardy!’s AMAZIN' champ, Amy Schneider, has been dethroned after a 40-game winning streak, and she's walking away with a huge chunk of change – over 1 million bucks!

Schneider lost to Chicago librarian Rhone Talsma in the Final Jeopardy! category. Talsma nailed the final "Jeopardy!" clue -- Amy just drew a blank and wrote nothing.

The answer: "The only nation in the world whose name in English ends in an "H." It's also one of the 10 most populous."

30 seconds, folks ...

WHAT IS BANGLADESH.

Here's the thing. Amy was leading 27,600 to 17,600 going into Final Jeopardy!, but the librarian was in striking distance -- something Amy wasn't used to.  Afterward, Amy said of Talsma, "I could tell that he was here to play and that he was going to be good."

Don't feel too bad for Amy ... she walked away with $1,382,800!!!

Amy made more than her mark on the long-running show. She holds the second-longest consecutive winning streak, behind Ken Jennings. She's the winningest female contestant of all time. She has the 4th largest regular-season cash winnings of all time. And, she's now eligible for the Tourney of Champs this fall.

Amy is also the first openly transgender woman to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. She talked on 'GMA' about the positive impact she's had on the show for all to see ... a "smart, confident woman doing something super normal."

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson certainly aren't cooling off, now attending fancy dinner parties at the home of one of the richest men in the world -- Jeff Bezos.

The bicoastal couple was spotted arriving at Bezos' L.A. estate Tuesday night in Kim's car, where we're told they spent several hours with Jeff.

After the event, our sources say Kim and Pete were seen arriving together at Pete's hotel in Beverly Hills.

Of course, it would appear things are getting pretty serious between Kim and Pete ... they're spending more and more time together -- with Pete almost becoming a regular on the West Coast.

A source with direct knowledge tells us he's been working in L.A. recently, and appears to find any excuse to mix work and play in order to spend the most time with Kim as possible.

Unclear exactly what was discussed at dinner, but Bezos isn't the only heavyweight Kim's been with this week ... she was spotted at Hot & Cool Cafe with Chelsea and Hillary Clinton Monday.

Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly, was so blown away by the prices of NFC Championship game tickets ... she says she's personally buying a bunch of seats so she can give them away to Rams fans.

Kelly made the announcement on her social media page Wednesday ... encouraging any L.A. fans with good stories to reach out to her so she can start handing out the tix to Sunday's big game versus the 49ers ASAP.

"If you are a hard core rams fan, or just a regular rams fan, a veteran, active in the military, a public servant, etc.," Kelly said, "email me at staffgiveback@gmail.com and tell me your story with some photos attached!"

Kelly -- who married Matthew back in 2015 -- added that she's hoping to give away all the tickets by Thursday night.

It's an awesome gesture ... considering the tickets have reached crazy prices. Even SoFi Stadium nosebleed seats are going for over $500, and seats near the field are selling for thousands.

Kelly, though, is clearly down to help ease that financial burden -- especially because the last time the Niners came into town earlier this month, their fans took over the venue.

'RHOBH's Erika Jayne might have to surrender $750k worth o' bling -- a bankruptcy trustee is coming for her diamond earrings, claiming Erika's estranged hubby bought 'em with stolen client money.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ ... Tom Girardi bought the ultra-pricey and icy earrings back in 2007 from M&M Jewelers, using money that was in a client trust account at his old law firm Girardi & Keese.

We can't confirm these diamonds Erika was rocking back in 2019 are the ones in question, but they seem to fit the bill.

As for how they ended up in her ears ... the trustee in Girardi & Keese's bankruptcy case alleges Tom hid the transaction by describing the purpose of the check on G&K's Trust Account as a "cost" item paid to "M&M."

So, the trustee is now demanding Erika turn over the earrings to the bankruptcy estate.

As a matter of bankruptcy law, the trustee claims those high-priced diamonds are technically assets of the law firm's bankruptcy estate ... and the trustee can and should sell them to pay back creditors.

The judge hasn't ruled yet, but Erika might wanna box up those babies, just in case.

Cardi B is feeling super grateful to a lot of people now that her libel trial is wrapped up ... and she's also walking away with a lot of money, thanks to the jury.

Cardi spoke out as she was leaving federal court in Atlanta Tuesday ... after a hearing to determine punitive damages in her case against YouTuber Tasha K. As we reported, Cardi won big in the case yesterday -- the jury found Tasha liable for all 3 claims against her for telling several damaging lies about Cardi.

The rapper was flanked by her attorneys as she thanked the jurors for reaching a "fair" decision, and she even thanked the media for encouraging her through the trial. She said reporters helped keep her strong while dealing with the "emotional distress."

She also shouted out her attorneys for nearly 3 years of work on the case.

As we told you ... Cardi was awarded $1.25 mil yesterday, and today she got an additional $1.5 million in punitive damages, plus $1.3 million for her attorney's fees.

Antonio Brown celebrated the demise of Bruce Arians and the Buccaneers in style on Sunday -- partying hard at a Miami nightclub just hours after his former team was booted from the playoffs.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the ex-Bucs wideout watched his old squad lose to the Rams in Tampa -- and then he made his way down to Miami to celebrate.

We're told the 33-year-old hit XXIII Club ... and copped around $15,000-worth of bottles while there!!

Brown rocked a huge fur coat ... and was the life of the party at the packed venue -- which, at one point, played his new "Pit Not The Palace" song for the crowd.

Of course, Brown was in great spirits ... because, after all, the team that he says screwed him over earlier this month finally fell in heartbreaking fashion to L.A. earlier on Sunday.

In fact, Brown was so pleased with the result on the field, he trolled Tampa Bay on his social media page with an edited "Bucs eliminated" meme, and later tweeted that Arians was a "barbarian."

It seemed Brown had been moving on from his beef with the Bucs -- remember, he told us recently he and Tom Brady had hashed things out, and said just before that that his shirtless exit from the team was not very professional.

It's next to impossible for pet owners in Hong Kong to get their animals out of the country ... as a result, pet owners in large numbers are chartering private jets for their animals.

Here's the deal ... flights out of Hong Kong are packed to the brim and pet owners can't get dogs and other house pets on board.

Enter Top Stars Air, which has found a niche with group charters for pets.

The owner of the company says pet owners have chartered jets for dogs, cats, hamsters and rabbits. Forget businesspeople ... the target audience now has 4 legs.

A flight from Hong Kong to New York runs $22,000, but plenty of folks have plunked down that kind of loot for their beloved pets.

As for how many ... the owner of Top Stars says business is up 700% since the beginning of the pandemic.

Pet owners in Hong Kong may have reason to fear because the country has some of the most restrictive and in some cases drastic COVID restrictions in the world.

Authorities there have been euthanizing small animals by the thousands over COVID fears.

More than 2,500 hamsters and other small pets have been euthanized after authorities tested a hamster in a pet store that turned up a positive COVID read.

Crazy times.

Kat Von D is saying goodbye to all things California -- she just listed her L.A. mansion, which also happens to be a famous movie location ... TMZ has learned.

Long before Kat moved in, the huge home was featured in the 2003 movie "Cheaper By the Dozen" -- but take a look around this pad ... ain't a damn thing cheap about it!!!

The 3-story, gorgeous crib is 12,565 sq feet with 13 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms.

Kat paid $6.5 million for it back in 2016 ... and she's put some work and money into the place since then.

We're told she completely restored the Victorian home which some unique features, like a library, hidden bar with hand-carved walls and 7 fireplaces!!!

You know you're living right when your living room has a title -- Kat's is called the 'French Ballroom' -- and one more bonus is the 2-bed, 1-bath carriage house over the garage.

It also has some more commonly seen luxuries ... like a pool and spa.

Jamie Sher of The Sher Group holds the listing.

Kat selling shouldn't come as a surprise -- back in October, she announced she was leaving Cali for good and putting down roots in Indiana.

Amy Schneider is still making gameshow history on "Jeopardy!" ... and she says the best part of her historic run is having the platform to rep the transgender community.

Amy's 38 game winning streak has made her the most successful woman ever on the show ... and that means doing more interviews. Monday on 'GMA,' she opened up about being a "smart, confident woman doing something super normal." We'll take umbrage with her description of her "Jeopardy!" wins as "normal," but you get her point.

Amy said she always knew she could be on the gameshow, but says she wasn't fully prepared for what it meant to be "Jeopardy!" famous.

Following her latest win, she is now neck and neck with Matt Amodio for the game’s second-longest win streak. If she wins on Monday night's episode, she'll be all alone in 2nd place behind only Ken Jennings ... who happens to be hosting during her run.

BTW, Ken has 74 straight wins, so Amy's got a ways to go for the overall crown.