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George Takei thinks Americans need to be willing to tighten their belt and shoulder bloated checkout tallies in solidarity with Ukraine -- but he's kinda catching heat for the suggestion.

The 'Star Trek' actor took to Twitter Friday with his sentiment, writing ... "Americans: We can endure higher prices for food and gas if it means putting the screws to Putin. Consider it a patriotic donation in the fight for freedom over tyranny."

Sounds innocent enough -- fact is, there is bound to be more inflation as a result of this conflict and the sanctions President Biden has imposed ... whether we like it or not.

If anything, it sounds like GT is telling folks to have a better attitude about it rather than actually proposing they act on it ... 'cause, frankly, there isn't much to do at the moment. Now, as you can imagine ... his idea is being embraced by some, but rejected by others.

The pushback ... namely, that George is a rich celebrity, and he comes off a bit tone-deaf here telling ordinary people to chip in for a good cause -- at least in his critics' eyes. Essentially, it's sounding like an elitist POV (to them) ... and talking down to "little people."

Big picture ... this convo is turning into rich vs. poor, which is a raging debate in this country -- as it seems there's a growing hatred of the 1%, whom many feel could be/should be contributing more to help society. In this case, George is on the receiving end of that.

Of course, the flip side of this is ... who the hell knows what George may already be doing and/or donating to help the cause in Ukraine? He could be pouring tons of cash and other resources toward the effort without anyone's knowledge -- and if he is, would he still be considered an opulent snob up in the ivory tower??? If we're being honest ... probably not.

Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne are done with L.A. ... in fact, they're bailing from the U.S.

Ozzy and Sharon are moving to the U.K. ... Ozzy told The Mirror it's because the tax rate is too high.  He wasn't specific if it was the CA tax rate (which is insanely high), the U.S. tax rate or both.

It's a big move ... they've lived in Bev Hills for a quarter-century.

Ozzy told The Mirror, "I am taking my recording studio with me. I am going to build a barn there and make my own studio at Welders. I will still be making music and my band will come over."

The Osbournes and Bev Hills have become synonymous ... as you know, their hit show "The Osbourne's" rooted in the mansion ran from 2002 to 2005.

As for Sharon, well she has lots of opportunities in England for sure.

Looks like they'll be doing some consulting from a distance ... there's a new flick in the works chronicling Ozzy and Sharon's relationship. Black Sabbath and some of Ozzy's solos will provide the soundtrack for the movie.

The 2 met in 1970 and things turned romantic 9 years later.

Neyo White went viral after a trip to a Georgia spa turned into a trip from hell ... and now he says he's taking legal action.

In the video, Neyo details what went down Feb 17 ... and how he ended up with burns all over his face after going to a Buckhead spa for a chemical peel. He also makes two things clear -- this isn't a stunt for clout, and he absolutely plans to sue.

Neyo says he had gone to the spa before, to get other facial procedures, to help with discoloration and evenness ... but he wanted to try something a little stronger, so he went in for a chemical peel.

Neyo says he felt burning during the process, but the woman doing the peel assured him that everything was fine. Well, things were not fine ... and 4 days later he ended up with burns and a completely discolored face.

It looks pretty painful, to say the least ... but luckily, we're told he is slowly recovering.

As far as the folks at the spa, Neyo says they haven't responded to him and have denied his Cash App request for a refund on the chemical peel ... so, now he plans to take matters into his own hands.

Neyo plans to sue for his legal bills, medical fees, and Uber payments for his hospital trips. He also wants to be refunded for the $150 chemical peel.

Brooklyn Beckham and his fiancée, Nicola Peltz, are one giant step closer to taking their talents to Miami ... cause the couple just found a buyer for their $11 mil L.A. mansion.

The couple's unloading their 5-bedroom, 7-bathroom pad -- less than a year after buying it -- as they reportedly shop around for a more humble abode on the west coast and also a home in MIA.

Once the deal is made and the keys are handed over, the buyer will definitely be able to let his/her hair down -- the place has a ton of zen.

There's a white crystal quartz massage room, sauna, heated pool, spa, steam room and a rooftop made for meditation.

Might we add, it also comes with a pretty amazing view that overlooks a portion of L.A.

BTW, 22-year-old Brooklyn's mom and pop, David and Victoria Beckham, have already snagged a penthouse in Miami ... and Nicola has some family in Palm Beach. So, the South FL move will put them closer to family.

The couple got engaged back in July 2020 and moved into the mansion back in summer 2021.

As they gear up to tie the knot, looks like they are keeping family at the forefront of their mind.

YFN Lucci is desperate to get out of jail as he awaits trial in his murder case ... because he thinks he might literally die behind bars if he stays locked up.

According to new legal docs, the rapper claims a fellow inmate at the Fulton County Jail stabbed him last month ... and he also says he's been told there's a bounty on his head among inmates.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, YFN Lucci claims he was stabbed from behind while on a video call with someone on the outside ... and he says the other inmate used a homemade shank to stab him.

Since the alleged stabbing back on Feb. 9, YFN Lucci claims he's been told there's a price on his head ... and he fears his life is in jeopardy if he remains in custody.

As a result, YFN Lucci is asking the judge to grant him bond so he can get the hell outta jail ... and he says he would be down with 24-hour home confinement and wear a monitoring device if he gets out.

Remember ... Lucci is in jail right now because prosecutors said he violated the previous bond conditions in his murder case by going to a strip club and a recording studio.

So, it will be interesting to see if he gets another shot.

We reached out to YFN Lucci's lawyer and the jail ... so far no word back.

Shaquille O'Neal's turning 50 this weekend, but he ain't slowing down ... in fact, the NBA legend's literally getting faster after getting a brand new, customized Dodge Charger Hellcat for his big day.

The NBA Hall of Famer -- who's turning the big 50 on March 6 -- showed off his new whip on Friday ... saying it's the "best birthday ever!"

The car looks awesome ... with it's custom silver and red paint job and scissor doors (like on a Lamborghini). It also has the words "Diesel Dog Mafia" painted on the hood.

And, it's not just any old Charger ... it's a Hellcat, with about 800 horsepower.

Shaq was extremely hyped and thanked Swaggpack Shaq, Atlanta Street Xecs and Padgett Motor Sports for getting him the bday ride.

"Best car club ever," Shaq said, "love you guys thanks."

Shaq (of course) also had to take a shot at his buddy Chuck.

"I feel like Charles Barkley eating a piece of chocolate cake."

Antonio Brown might want to reconsider the dark black mask he's been wearing around lately ... because it might have just cost him some paint on his pricey Ferrari.

The NFL star was leaving Craig's in Los Angeles on Thursday night ... when he decided to drive away in his fancy sports car in a mask that could not have been easy to see through.

Turns out, the choice of headwear was a pretty poor decision ... because you can see in video of his exit, after he flipped off photogs, he struggled to steer the Ferrari, and ended up driving it straight into a curb.

Footage shows the bottom of Brown's car nicked the cement -- and it was so apparent, one bystander actually yelled at the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer to stop going forward.

"Your car!" a woman can be heard screaming. "Sweetheart!"

Brown eventually got the Ferrari going the right way -- but check out the clip, it's clear he was having trouble moving the ride around while in his mask.

As for a potential bill for the ride's bumper -- it certainly won't be cheap if it is indeed damaged -- the Ferrari 488 he was cruising around in can cost over $330,000!!!

"Selling Sunset" star Christine Quinn narrowly escaped violent intruders early Friday ... and what saved them is some sturdy glass.

Christine, her husband, Christian Richards, and their son were sound asleep when they were awakened by some noise outside the house.

They apparently didn't see anything when they peered outside, but when they checked their security footage they were horrified to see 2 armed people trying to break in through a window.

What saved them from a home invasion robbery -- triple-pane glass that just wouldn't crack.

They called 911 and cops got there in minutes, but the robbers escaped.

Christine lives in the Hollywood Hills above the Sunset Strip. That area, along with others in the L.A. area, have been hit hard by crime over the last year.

Christine says the window the robbers were trying to break was 4 feet from her bedroom. She says it was the most horrifying moment of her life.

Cardi B's legal victory over a blogger who defamed her isn't stopping the woman from trashing Cardi ... so now, the rapper wants a judge to gag her forever.

Cardi filed docs Thursday night in federal court, demanding a permanent injunction against Tasha K, whom Cardi defeated in a defamation trial back in January. The jury awarded Cardi about $4 million ... but in the docs she says that's done nothing to stop Tasha from spreading the very lies that landed her in court.

As we've reported, Tasha's falsely claimed Cardi committed adultery, has STIs and was a prostitute.

According to the docs, Tasha bragged back in August ... "Even if they did sue, bitch I ain't got but a dollar to my name bitch, what are you going to get? And there's always bankruptcy bitch." Tasha even said, "I'm going to pull a 50 Cent on that bitch" ... referring to Fiddy's bankruptcy filing back in 2015.

Cardi also accuses Tasha of fraudulently moving assets to make it more difficult to collect the millions -- a move she's allegedly boasted about on her YouTube vlog, saying "Let me tell you how this was a blessing though. Cause can't nobody else sue me, and even if they do, I ain't got no money. We've got estate lawyers, we've got every mother f***ing thing. I ain't got s*** in my name bitch."

In fact, Tasha even testified during the trial she wouldn't stop repeating defamatory lies unless the court forces her to do so.

Aaaand that's exactly what Cardi's asking for now -- an injunction to stop Tasha from saying any defamatory statements now, and in the future, and to force her to delete all past videos or posts containing those lies.

Run, don't walk -- except those holding sharp objects -- to the iconic Florida house from "Edward Scissorhands" which is back on the market!

Current owner Joey Klops tells TMZ ... the house, which is 20 minutes outside of Tampa, went up for sale Wednesday for $699,900 -- a big change from when he and his wife bought it back in September 2020 for only $230K.

The 3 bed, 2 bath home is instantly recognizable to any die-hard fan ... after his purchase, Joey says he craftily restored the home to its movie quality, highlighting the whimsical Victorian looks that made it so iconic.

As we reported, the property -- home to the Boggs family in the film -- was transformed into a museum a year after being purchased ... with tons of memorabilia from the film on display.

Joey and his family aren't taking the relics and art with them when they leave -- giving the goodies to the buyer! He says the homeowner will be able to "live in a true wonderland" with all the treasures left behind.

How does the man with a $195 million contract treat himself for his birthday?! By copping a Richard Mille watch worth $500k!

TMZ Sports has learned the Boston Celtics star wanted to celebrate the big 2-4 with a big new watch -- so he hit up celeb jeweler Eric Da Jeweler.

It's not just any watch, BTW ... it's a Richard Mille, which are famously known for their unique designs, cases and quality material.

Tatum copped the all-white RM055 Bubba Watson watch that has skeletonized movement and a grade 5 titanium case band and back bezel.

When it comes to the price -- we're told it cost JT $500k!

That may seem like a lot but the 6-foot-8 hooper already made over $57 million since the Celtics drafted him in 2017.

Eric tells us he made the special delivery to JT out in Boston the night before his big day -- giving Tatum some time to enjoy his gift ahead of the Grizzlies-Celtics game.

Tatum's 4-year-old son, Deuce, also delivered a dope gift -- by making him a bday video of all his favorite childhood spots in his hometown of St. Louis.

Meghan Markle didn't have the crappy childhood she wants the public to believe, according to her half sister ... who is now dragging Meghan to court, suing over that famous Oprah Winfrey interview.

Samantha Markle is suing Meghan for defamation, and she's especially pissed about some of the things she and Prince Harry told Oprah about the Markle fam. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Samantha rips into Meghan for spinning a "rags to royalty" narrative about herself which she claims is simply false.

Samantha claims Meghan is trashing her, and spreading outright lies, in order to bolster the notion she's overcome leeching family members. For example, Sam points out she and Meghan share the same father in Thomas Markle ... yet Meghan told Oprah she was an "only child."

She also claims Meghan dropped another lie when she told Oprah she'd last seen Samantha "at least 18, 19 years ago and before that, 10 years before that."

Those aren't the only alleged disses ... Samantha claims Meghan got it flat out wrong when she told Oprah Samantha only changed her surname to Markle after Meghan started dating Harry.

In the suit, Samantha also claims Meghan's fabricated tales of growing up in "virtual poverty" ... because Thomas paid for her to attend "elite and expensive private schools," and dance and acting classes. She claims dad also covered Meghan's tuition and living expenses when she went to Northwestern University ... something the Duchess told Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres she worked to pay for herself.

As for Meghan's motive -- Samantha claims the alleged lies about her and their father were part of a calculated effort so "they could not interfere with or contradict the false narrative and fairytale life story concocted by" Meghan.

Samantha says Meghan's harsh words have hurt sales of her autobiography, prevented her from getting jobs and caused emotional and mental distress.

NASCAR legend Tony Stewart is selling his massive Indiana ranch -- and once you see how ridiculously awesome this house is, you'll see why it's got a $30 million price tag!

This 20,000 square foot estate sits on 415 acres in Columbus, IN -- less than an hour from Indianapolis -- and is built out of luxurious lodgepole pine.

The place is awesome. It has a two-story waterfall, a trout stream and an 8,700-gallon aquarium right in the entry.

There's also 6 bedrooms, 11 baths (8 full, 3 half), a gigantic kitchen with fancy appliances, a 4-car garage (of course) and a guesthouse.

For entertainment, you've got lots to pick from ... including a 2-lane bowling alley, full golf simulator, an onyx bar and a game room that looks like a Vegas casino.

You can also dive in the 9-acre stocked lake in the backyard or if you're a fan of hunting, this land is a licensed hunting preserve that has a bunch of elk, deer and more.

The two-story mansion, that was built in 2011, was just listed with Carrie Holle of Compass Indiana and can be yours for $30 million.

Why would Stewart sell such a beautiful place? We're told it's because the 3x NASCAR Cup Series winner is never home and always on the road.

Melinda French Gates has left no doubt ... she was appalled at Bill Gates' friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, whom she described as "evil personified."

Melinda told Gayle King Thursday on "CBS Mornings" ... Bill's relationship with Epstein was definitely a factor in their divorce. You gotta hear the way she describes that relationship -- the disgust in her voice is loud and clear.

Melinda said, "I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him."

She also tells King she met him a grand total of one time, and it creeped her out ... "I wanted to see who this man was and I regretted it from the second I stepped in the door ... he was evil personified. I had nightmares about it afterward."

She says her heart breaks for the young women who suffered at the hands of Epstein ...  and she says she made her feelings very clear to Bill.

Melinda makes it clear there are still hard feelings between her and Bill ... she says they have a working relationship but are not "friends."

TMZ broke the story ... when they initially planned on announcing the divorce in March 2021, Melinda and their kids went to a private island, anticipating a media onslaught -- and Bill was not invited. The family was furious at him ... we're told largely because of his alleged relationships with other women.

Russian billionaire Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich has announced he's selling his beloved soccer team ... and, in a surprising move, he said he'll donate all of the proceeds to victims of the war in Ukraine.

The soccer club's boss explained his decision in a statement Wednesday ... saying he believes unloading the team is in "the best interest of the Club, the fans, the employees, as well as the Club's sponsors and partners."

In his statement, Abramovich said the net dollars from the sale will go to Ukrainian relief efforts ... adding he hopes the funds will help war victims as well as "the long-term work of recovery."

The news comes on the heels of Abramovich -- an oligarch --  reportedly being pressured to sell the team due to his rumored ties to Vladimir Putin.

The oligarch has been friendly with the Russian leader for years ... and with many pushing for sanctions for those who might have the ear of Putin, some believed Abramovich's soccer club was on the verge of being seized.

Experts expect Chelsea FC to sell for around $3 billion ... and given that Abramovich bought the team in 2003 for around $200 million, hundreds of millions of dollars could soon be on the way to Ukraine.

This is amazing.

The college hoops community is stepping up and helping Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler's family in a big way ... by raising more than $200,000 after his family home was destroyed in a fire.

The unfortunate incident happened last month -- Zeigler's family apartment home, in Queens NY, was left dismantled after a fire started on the second floor of the 3-story building.

Thankfully, his family escaped safely ... but Zeigler's mother, Charmane, and his special-needs 4-year-old nephew, Nori, lost all of their belongings -- including his nephew's wheelchair, splints and other equipment.

The Vols sprang into action to help out -- starting a GoFundMe with a goal of $50k for "relief and recovery" for the freshman guard's family and Nori's care.

"Our administration did a terrific job. Once they got the news they jumped on it and got after it," Vols head coach Rick Barnes said of the gesture.

"Been doing what they have to do to get things in order so that we can help."

But, what's even better?? Within just a few hours after the fund went up, thousands of people donated -- raising over $200k!!

"The outpouring of support has been unbelievable!" Zeigler said Wednesday on Twitter, "We’ll get through this. All love, #VolNation!!"