Politics

After several weeks, a verdict has been reached in Harvey Weinstein's 2nd sexual assault case -- the disgraced movie mogul was found guilty on 3 of 7 charges.

The verdict was just read in Los Angeles, a jury found Weinstein guilty of all charges related to Jane Doe 1 -- forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by a foreign object. The jury was hung on the counts related to Jane Doe 2 and 4, which were sexual battery by restraint, forcible oral copulation and forcible rape.

He was found not guilty of a sexual battery by restraint charge from Jane Doe 3.

Weinstein's rep, Juda Engelmayer, tells TMZ, "Harvey is obviously disappointed in the verdict ... however, the accounts of Jane Doe 1 have a high likelihood of an appeal with positive results -- her logistics of the time and location of the incident do not make sense. Harvey is grateful for the jury's work on the other counts and he's going to continue his legal fight."

As you know, the disgraced film producer was originally facing 11 charges, including rape and sexual assault in California involving 5 women ... but 4 of the charges connected to one of the unknown accusers were dropped as the trial was underway.

He entered a not-guilty plea in 2021 while appearing in court -- something he was expected to do based on how he'd pled in the past.

This verdict comes after weeks of testimony from several witnesses over the years ... including CA Governor Gavin Newson's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. As we reported, she shockingly was asked in court to recreate how she faked an orgasm with Weinstein.

She fired back when asked, saying "This is not 'When Harry Met Sally.' I'm not doing that." She then broke into tears, saying, "I was making noises to get him to finish. He had already raped me. This is so gross."

Donald Trump broke the law during the attack on the U.S. Capitol -- so says the Jan. 6 congressional committee ... which is now asking the Department of Justice to prosecute.

The House select committee made criminal referrals to federal prosecutors Monday, suggesting they've found evidence of criminality throughout their months-long hearings ... and are now pointing out specific crimes they feel the DOJ could pursue, if they're inclined.

The charges they feel are warranted here ... obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, conspiracy to make a false statement, conspiracy to defraud the United States and straight-up insurrection. If the DOJ were to prosecute (and if Trump was convicted of all this) ... he could face up to 35 years in prison.

Of course, Congress's recommendation to the Justice Dept. is simply that ... a proposal, which is largely symbolic in this case -- and may not really amount to much big picture.

Fact is ... the DOJ is already running its own investigation into Trump on multiple fronts, including for his involvement on Jan. 6 -- for which they've already appointed a special counsel. Their probe(s) have been running parallel to the congressional hearings for a while, and they've been keeping tabs on the proceedings. It's unclear if they've become aware of any major new bombshells against Trump that they weren't already aware of.

With that said ... the fact Congress is officially looking to have a former Prez prosecuted -- even if it is out of their hands -- is a major statement ... as it's never been done before.

Whether Trump ends up being personally charged/prosecuted for any alleged wrongdoing -- and there's a lot he's been accused of lately -- remains to be seen, especially since he's running for office again and is about to be in the thick of his 2024 campaign very soon.

Trump's alleged malfeasance on or around Jan. 6 has been well-documented throughout the hearings -- there's been claims that he fought with his own Secret Service in an attempt to arrive and meet the coup crowd at the Capitol ... not to mention the allegation that he asked to have metal detectors removed in hopes of people being able to sneak in weapons.

Of course, there's also the fact that he explicitly called his VP, Mike Pence, a traitor ... and essentially left him for the wolves, along with the other lawmakers that day. Trump was also very soft on condemning the attack, and is reported to have prolonged his response.

Meek Mill has closed the book on his life on Twitter ... he's just the latest celeb to jump ship since Elon Musk took over in October.

The Philly rapper made the abrupt decision Sunday evening to close his account, and cited too many bots and weirdos as his reason for flying the coop on the bird app.

He says he’ll now interact with fans via YouTube as he prepares for his next career stage as an independent artist.

Meek was one of the most notorious rappers to ever tweet ... amassing more than 11 million followers before he killed his account.

His most infamous moment came in 2015 when he called out Drake for ghostwriting ... birthing his "Twitter fingers" nickname.

Meek's not alone in hating Twitter these days — Toni Braxton, Shonda Rimes and Whoopi Goldberg are just a handful of celebs who don't like the new direction ... but the current climate could very well change any minute.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly want a sit-down with the Royal Family to air out unsettled grievances, in hopes of an apology -- this after not feeling satisfied post-Netflix.

According to The Sunday Times, a source close to the Sussexes says Harry and Meg would very much like a meeting with senior members of the monarchy -- presumably, King Charles, and Prince William -- to tackle issues they just laid out in their series, "Harry & Meghan."

The reason they wanna hash it out once and for all ... this source, cited by The Times, claims they feel short-changed in the accountability department. Namely, they assert the Royals never addressed their problems head-on, nor did they ever own up to anything.

In light of Buckingham Palace moving mountains to make things right with Ngozi Fulani -- who was recently at the center of a race-related scandal at the hands of a high-ranking Royal official -- this source says H and M feel they're owed the same type of courtesy.

There's also the issue of Charles' coronation in May, which The Times says Harry and Meghan are expected to attend -- although, it's unclear by whom. They cite a senior Royal source who says, "If they want to get in touch with the King, they know where he lives."

Apparently, Harry and Megan would like to reach some sort of reconciliation before then ... but it's sounding like an icy one-way street and the feeling isn't mutual. Not only is Charles reportedly taking an aloof approach to the whole thing, but The Times also claims they've been told Will has no plans to speak to his brother for the time being.

The vow of silence is also one that the Royal institution as a whole is planning to maintain now that the Netflix series is over. Despite claims that palace aides and/or staff might've gone out of their way to plant stories about Meghan -- not to mention allegations of racism aimed at their son, Archie -- it seems the Royals are staying out of the mud on this one.

None of the Royals have responded to anything discussed in the special ... they've simply been carrying on with their duties heading into the holidays. If this report is to be believed about Harry and Meghan's wishes, things might come to a head sooner than later.

Brittney Griner is finally breaking her silence on her return from Russia ... saying she's super grateful to be back in the United States -- while vowing to play in the WNBA again.

Griner released a statement on her Instagram page Friday morning ... thanking President Joe Biden and everyone else who helped get her out of Russian custody last week.

Griner shouted out her wife, her agents, her reps, the WNBA and more in her note ... adding, "It feels so good to be home!"

"The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn," she wrote. "I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help."

Griner also said in her message that she will play basketball again -- insisting she'll be ready to roll for the Phoenix Mercury this upcoming season.

"I look forward to being able to say 'thank you' to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon," she said.

Griner -- who also shared a photo of the moment she was reunited with her wife -- added that she's going to do everything in her power to help Paul Whelan and other detained Americans return home soon, too.

"Every family deserves to be whole," she said.

Donald Trump's getting jabbed over his digital trading cards -- the folks behind Amazon Prime's "The Boys" are taking his idea and turning it into satirical gold.

The Twitter account for Vought International -- the media conglomerate on the TV show that uses superhumans for profit -- posted its version of expensive cards Thursday, not coincidentally, just as Trump unveiled his $99 self-portraits.

The "company" promoted the Homelander-themed collection, writing, "Celebrate our greatest hero's life and crimefighting career by owning an authentic and non-fungible JPEG of him. Buy now for 777 VoughtCoin while you still can!"

In case you missed it, Vought's referring to Trump's NFT announcement ... showing off a ton of edited pics of him in a wide variety of action scenarios.

You can imagine, the Internet's having a field day ... and "The Boys" crew decided to join the fun.

One of Trump's trading cards showed him as a superhero, which looked like an obvious play off the TV show's Homelander character -- and probably prompted 'Boys' creators to drop their mock NFT.

This was bound to happen ... 'Boys' executive producer Eric Kripke's been very open about the fact they based Homelander on Trump -- something fans of the show have clearly seen.

The series revolves around a company with an endless amount of power that subliminally runs the world -- and draws direct parallels to the battle between woke folks and conservatives.

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."

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.

President Biden has signed a bill into law that works to permanently protect same-sex and interracial marriages -- although the Supreme Court still might have something to say about it.

Dubbed the "Respect for Marriage Act," the bill codifies protections for married couples of all races and sexual orientations and requires the federal government to recognize these marriages in all 50 states ... which, for now, is already the law of the land.

The bill was passed in the House with a vote of 258-169 and in the Senate ... 61-36. Some Republicans got onboard for the legislation -- but far from a majority in either house.

To celebrate the occasion, the White House hosted an event on the South Lawn with several guests and even some music acts to help ring in the moment. Sam Smith, who identifies as nonbinary, was one of those artists who performed ... singing their hit "Stay With Me."

Cyndi Lauper, who appeared during Tuesday's press briefing, also took the stage for her classic song, "True Colors." There were a couple other acts, including a gay choir. Senator Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi also delivered remarks, as did guest speakers.

During the signing ceremony, Biden called the move a huge deal for Americans everywhere, emphasizing the importance of being able to marry anyone you love, and the significance of having that right protected by law under the federal government.

The Respect for Marriage Act is meant to serve as a safeguard against possible reversals of key Supreme Court cases that weighed in on these issues in the past -- namely, 2015's Obergefell v. Hodges and, of course, 1967's Loving v. Virginia. The former promised gay couples the same marriage rights as heterosexual couples, and the latter did the same for interracial couples.

The bill was drafted shortly after SCOTUS' reversal of Roe v. Wade -- wiping away a federally-protected right to an abortion. There was then fear SCOTUS would go after Obergefell and Hodges too -- especially after Justice Clarence Thomas suggested cases like these needed another look as well in his controversial written opinion.

Jin, the oldest member of BTS, is officially an enlisted man -- the first singer from the international hitmakers to join the South Korean military under the country’s strict conscription laws.

30-year-old Jin reported to a training facility Tuesday in the Gyeonggi Province, close to the border with North Korea. Dozens of fans and journalists flocked to the area to catch a glimpse of the K-pop star as he entered the grounds.

His 5-week basic training course will include shooting a rifle and throwing grenades, according to the AP. Before Jin showed up at the training site, he posted a selfie, showing off his new buzz cut with a caption that read, "Cuter than expected."

As we reported ... BTS announced in October Jin would be the first of the seven-member boy band to serve in the South Korean military because he's the oldest. Jin is expected to complete his service by June 2024. Other BTS members -- ages 25 to 30 -- will eventually do the same, forcing the band into hiatus for several years.

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.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry beat "the media's out to get us" drum repeatedly in their new Netflix docuseries, but a royal expert says that's kinda rich ... considering how much they need media coverage.

Kinsey Schofield tells TMZ ... Harry and Meghan's claims about the aggressive press surrounding their life came as a shock to her, and sees a clear contrast between them and Princess Diana.

Kinsey sees the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as entertainers, more than members of the royal family at this point ... and thinks all they're doing is trying to deflect hate and get the public on their side.

While Kinsey doesn't think it's working, the jury's still out -- because after volume 1 of "Harry & Meghan" dropped this week, many viewers see the couple's version of their story as pretty charming.

As you know, a big point in the series is about the media's negative takes on the couple ... with Meghan saying, "No matter what I did they were still going to find a way to destroy me."

BBC's Nicholas Witchell called that claim "absurd," despite the countless racist and slanted British tabloid headlines shown in the docuseries.

Kinsey really takes Meghan to task, though, over one controversial moment from the doc -- Meghan's reenactment of her curtsy to Queen Elizabeth.

She saw it as disrespectful, in light of the Queen's death in September, and a scene that should've been left on the cutting room floor.

Controversial L.A. councilman Kevin de León got into a knockdown, drag-out fight with an activist ... while attending a Christmas tree lighting and toy giveaway event, of all places.

The video starts as de León is slamming Jason Reedy down onto a table, and the 2 of them continued wrestling into a hallway ... as people around them tried to break it up. Reedy is an organizer for a tenant rights group, and apparently has beef with de León.

After the fight ended -- with no serious injuries -- de León claimed it all started with Reedy headbutting him. He said the "self-proclaimed activists" assaulted him during the "community holiday event to the dismay of a multitude of families and children who were there to celebrate a Christmas tree lighting and to receive toys and food."

The incident's not all that shocking -- de León has been under fire since a leaked recording of him and other council members making racist remarks came out in October. Two of the council members resigned, but de León refused to step down and, instead, issued an apology.

After Friday's scuffle, Reedy's attorney told the LA Times, de León is “a disgrace.”

Joe Exotic feels he ought to be next in line after President Biden struck a deal with Russia to free WNBA star Brittney Griner, and he's stating his case for freedom ... from behind bars.

In audio obtained by TMZ ... The "Tiger King" star says, "The whole Brittney Griner and Trevor Reed prisoner swap is a slap in every American's face that is wrongfully detained in the American Federal Prison System, including myself."

He goes on to plead his case to the Prez, saying he's innocent of any crimes and calling out his ex-costar Carole Baskin in the process.

Quite frankly, Joe's drawing a ridiculous parallel here, between Brittney and himself. While she was imprisoned as Vladimir Putin's political pawn, Joe was tried and convicted for hiring a hitman, and various crimes tied to the treatment of animals at his infamous wildlife park.

After she spent nearly 10 months incarcerated, U.S. officials finally struck a deal this week -- Russia agreed to free Brittney in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout ... AKA the "Merchant of Death."

You'll recall, BG was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport, back in February, and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Joe is serving a 21-year sentence, but insists he's innocent -- jury be damned -- and totally deserving of freedom ... something he's been pushing for since Donald Trump was in the White House.

Florida Congressman-Elect Maxwell Alejandro Frost, the first Gen Z candidate to make it to Congress, says he tried applying for an apartment in Washington, D.C. -- but got denied because of low credit.

25-year-old Frost let out his housing frustrations Thursday, tweeting ... "Just applied to an apartment in DC where I told the guy that my credit was really bad. He said I'd be fine. Got denied, lost the apartment, and the application fee."

He says, "This ain't meant for people who don't already have money," before answering some follow-up questions -- mainly telling people his credit tanked because of all the debt he got while running for Congress.

He added, and not jokingly, "Didn't make enough money from Uber itself to pay for a living."

Frost gives a shoutout to fellow Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who he says went through the same thing 4 years ago ... pointing out how history's repeating itself.

He ends his post pointing toward the fact that his credit should bump back up once he gets on his new salary, but adds ... "We have to do better for the whole country."