Religion/ Spirituality

The Royals have had a tough year no doubt, but at least some of them tried to put on a happy face for Xmas.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte clutched the hand of parents William and Kate as they made their way to church. They joined grandpa Prince Charles as they entered the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the Queen's Sandringham estate, about 100 miles from London.

Prince Louis wasn't there ... he's 18 months old and too young for the festivities. Louis hung out with Kate's parents.

Kanye West brought his city-hopping opera to NYC -- and while much of it was the same -- Yeezy added some Christmas flare to the latest tour stop.

Kanye, his choir and band hit Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall Sunday to perform "Mary." The stage was decked out in plants, over 100 choir members and props to tell the story of Jesus' birth from the eyes of his mother.

The choir belted out songs from Kanye's "Jesus is King" album -- as they normally have -- but there was also a rendition of "The Little Drummer Boy" added to the setlist.

Dave Chappelle, Bradley Cooper and Kim Kardashian West were among the stars in the crowd ... and Kanye voiced much of the show from offstage.

It's been a family affair for the West's in NYC -- we got Kim, Kanye and the kids leaving The Ritz Friday -- North was definitely in a holiday mood.

Kanye West seems ready to switch things up for his second go-around on 'Mary' -- this time, kids are going to be directly involved, as will a big surprise guest ... supposedly.

The rapper's in NYC right now, where he's hours away from his 2nd performance of his latest opera at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall. On Saturday, he was in rehearsals ... and a bunch of tykes were spotted onstage at the David H. Koch Theater across the way -- where we're told everyone was warming up their pipes and getting the cues down.

People on the scene tell us they saw the kids rehearsing their singing too, as we're told it appears they're going to be incorporated into the chorus of adults -- made up of Ye's Sunday Service choir, of course. That's different than what he did at Art Basel 2 weeks ago.

Kanye West has a simple message on what people should take away from his journey in 2019 -- but his son has an even louder one that might resonate more.

We got the Kardashian-West family Saturday in NYC, where they left a restaurant and boarded a waiting SUV with two of their kids in tow ... North and Saint, who were feeling chatty after dinner. Saint had a firm message for the paps standing by ... they didn't listen.

As Kim got the kids situated in the car, we asked Ye what it was he wanted folks to know or remember about him and his religious awakening from this past year ... which was pretty much a complete 180 from his rocky 2018 and mostly positive, all things considered.

At the start of this year, Kanye pivoted away from politics and dove head first into music -- and as it turned out, God too. His Sunday Services seemed to be his focal point, which started indoors but quickly went outside ... and, eventually, to Coachella and beyond.

Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato have formed a holy alliance with their manager Scooter Braun.

Justin and Demi hit the pews Wednesday night at an L.A. church with Scooter, along with Justin's wife, Hailey.

It seems more than just a trek to a place of worship ... it's a showing of a united front with some of Scooter's most famous clients ... this in the wake of Taylor Swift's campaign against the manager and his Big Machine.

Remember ... when Taylor launched on Scooter at the Billboard Awards, he was in Florida with Ariana Grande ... another client.

There's been a lot of back and forth with Scooter and Taylor. She says neither he nor his team has reached out to her so she could have an opportunity to buy her masters from BM, and he has said on social media he wants to sit down with her but she hasn't accepted his olive branch.

Kanye West and Joel Osteen know a good thing when they see it, and after a massive success at Joel's Sunday Service in Houston, they've talked about a possible national tour.

TMZ broke the story, Kanye and Joel will appear at Yankee Stadium on May 2 and they will almost certainly sell the venue out. Kanye will be responsible for the music ... Joel will perform the sermon.

Our sources say the next venue will be Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago ... Kanye's hometown. We're told that event will go down in September.

But, there's more. We're told Joel and Kanye are talking regularly now ... mostly about religion, but they've also talked about expanding the kind of show they put on in Houston. We're told, although nothing has been locked down, they're talking about Miami, Detroit and Los Angeles. Joel has taken his service to Detroit in the past -- at Comerica Park in 2016, with great success. As for L.A. ... we're told the likely venue is Dodger Stadium.

We're told Detroit, L.A. and Miami would likely be in 2021.

Joel Osteen's making it clear -- he would very much like for Kanye West and him to keep their holy get-togethers going into the new year and all over the country.

We spoke to the megachurch preacher Tuesday in NYC, and asked if he and Ye's Yankee Stadium stop next year is an omen -- meaning, more sermons and shows in multiple cities. Essentially, a national tour. Check it out ... Joel says he'd like that.

Now, he stopped short of a guarantee ... the deets are still being worked out. However, he did confirm at least 1 future location they're working on -- Ye's hometown of Chicago.

JO also told us a little bit about how he and his new partner-in-faith even crossed paths in the first place.

As for their potential collabs -- Joel might be on to something by teaming up with Yeezy. Their partnership has already paid dividends and publicity beyond their wildest dreams. You'll recall, Kanye's visit to Osteen's Lakewood Church turned out to be a ratings bonanza -- raking in millions of unique viewers across multiple platforms.

Our camera guy also got Joel's take on a subject that's been on a lot of people's minds since Ye started fully embracing his Christianity -- is he actually genuine about this???

Kanye West might've been somewhat absent from his first opera in L.A. -- but he seems ready to make up for that tenfold with a silver bullet solution ... oh, mother of God.

We mean that literally!!! Ye's down at Art Basel in Miami right now, ready to premiere his new opera, dubbed "Mary." You might've heard of her -- she was Jesus's virgin mom ... a big deal in Christianity and elsewhere. Looks like Kanye dedicated a whole production to her.

It also appears he and others involved in the opera are actually going to be on stage and involved in the goings-on of the story ... completely covered in silver, head to toe.

Based on a quote Ye included in his description of the opera, it's a safe bet this is basically gonna portray the Nativity story ... in which Mary miraculously became pregnant and gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, welcoming royal visitors from distant lands for the occasion.

As for what the silver outfits might mean ... it's anyone's guess. Kanye and co. may be playing angels of some sort, or maybe Christmas stars guiding the way? Time will tell ...

You'll recall ... Kanye's 1st opera, Nebuchadnezzar, got mixed reviews when it debuted at the Hollywood Bowl last month. It took forever for the show to actually start, and it ended pretty quickly too. Ye didn't perform either -- he just narrated from behind the curtain.

Jeff Ross is welcoming Tiffany Haddish to the Jewish faith with open arms -- and he's also inviting anyone else of color to get on-board and enjoy the perks of Tribe membership.

The comic gave us his two cents Saturday outside of his Roastmaster's pop-up coffee shop on Ventura Blvd. in L.A. -- telling us what he made of Tiff recently embracing her Jewish heritage and celebrating it with a Black Mitzvah in conjunction with a new comedy special.

Watch ... Jeff seems ecstatic over the news and gives her a couple tips on how live like a Jew. He also has a message for other black celebs who are thinking of converting ... which sounds like great material he might use in a roast setting. That's sorta his thing.

Our photog pivots to Hanukkah, asking if Jeff thinks TH might enjoy that over a traditional Christmas. He's got a hilarious take on that too ... comparing Tiffany to a menorah.

Kanye West is going from the big stage at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church to a truly massive one -- this time they'll be teaming up to fill Yankee Stadium to the brim ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Kanye tell us ... Ye and Joel will take center stage at baseball's cathedral on May 2, 2020 for a mega event that certainly plays like a tour stop. The NYC event is part of Joel's "America's Night of Hope" ... which he takes to several cities across the country.

We're told Joel will do his sermon at Yankee Stadium, and then let Kanye and his choir do their thing with the music. Call it a double play, considering the setting, similar to what they did a few weeks ago in Houston.

If Joel's past appearances at Yankee Stadium are any indication, this one's sure to sell out quickly ... especially now that Kanye's involved. The stadium has a max capacity of 54,251 ... almost 10,000 more than Lakewood.

This will be Joel's third time doing 'Night of Hope' at the Stadium, but his first with Ye.

Our sources tell us the Lakewood get-together went so well, Joel recently asked Kanye about when they will do a sequel ... and they agreed Yankee Stadium would be the perfect backdrop. They're coordinating details now.

Lamar Jackson's breakout season has officially reached the Vatican City ... 'cause Pope Francis was just gifted a personalized Ravens jersey signed by the superstar QB!!!

Baltimore Archbishop William Lori was bearing gifts when he hit up Rome this week ... handing the pontiff his very own "Francis #8" jersey with Jackson and John Harbaugh's signatures on it!!!

Jackson has been playing outta his mind this season ... with a combined 32 total touchdowns, 2,532 passing yards and 977 rushing yards. Now that the pope has the dude on his radar, you might as well hand him the MVP trophy now.

Sorry, Russell Wilson ... maybe next year.

Of course, Pope Francis has been showing a lot of bias lately ... remember when he accidentally tweeted support for the New Orleans Saints earlier this season???

Tiffany Haddish is celebrating 3 things at once, and they all center around her Jewish heritage ... something she's leaning into as she hits the big 4-0.

The comedian and actress turned 40 on Tuesday and decided to ring it in by throwing a 'Black Mitzvah.' What the hell is that? Well, it's not only the title of her new Netflix stand-up special -- which dropped Tuesday -- but it also looks like a kick-ass freakin' party.

Tiff's bday bash/bat mitzvah went down at the SLS Hotel in Bev Hills, where friends like Jimmy Kimmel, Kevin Nealon and Sinbad -- to name just a few -- helped her celebrate.

If you hadn't heard, Tiffany learned she was part Jewish a bit late in life -- age 27, apparently -- with her father revealing he was an Eritrean Jew. That spurred her to learn more about the culture, and now she's dedicated her comedy special to it.

She's also been studying Hebrew, so she seems to be taking it seriously. Funny enough, Tiff used to work at bar and bat mitzvahs -- she says she was an "energy producer" at events. You can see that's a perfect gig for her.

File Under: "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

A Russian figure skater wore an Auschwitz-themed costume during a November competition -- while skating to music from "Schindler's List" -- and now people are FURIOUS!!!

The skater is 23-year-old Anton Shulepov -- who competed in the costume during his free skating performance at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating event ... a prestigious tournament featuring top skaters from all over the world, including Israel.

Of course, the outfit contains imagery from Nazi concentration camps -- including the yellow star they forced Jews to wear ... and other elements of a Nazi prison guard uniform.

If the outfit isn't offensive enough, things got WORSE this week, when it appeared on a Best Costume list provided by the International Skating Union ... a contest that allows fans to vote on their favorite outfits.

The ISU has since removed the costume from the list -- insisting it meant to feature Shulepov's costume from his "Short Program" routine, a plain blue outfit.

The Anti-Defamation League has obviously condemned the costume AND the ISU for including it on the list in a statement from CEO Jonathan A Greenblatt.

"While we understand the need for skaters to be creative in their choice of costumes, Anton Shulepov’s apparent decision to evoke painful Holocaust imagery as part of his routine was insensitive and offensive."

"We are surprised that the International Skating Union initially posted a picture of this costume as a nominee for ‘costume of the year.’ Yellow Stars of David or other concentration camp imagery have no place in figure skating."

FYI, Shulepov reportedly finished LAST in the skating competition.

Kim Petras is sticking it to the Westboro Baptist Church once again, but this time ... she's her own walking billboard.

The transgender singer made her way to Kansas City, Missouri Sunday night for a show planned months ago. We're told WBC members set up shop outside the concert, picketing with hateful messages, and Kim decided to step out and show them what's up.

Kim shared a photo and video of the scene along with an update -- "hoes still mad ..."

The post is being flooded with comments calling her legendary and a genius, and Katy Perry commented with just one word ... "icon."

We broke the story ... billboards for Petras -- whose songs have been blowing up in the LGBTQ+ community lately -- began popping up last month all over Topeka, Kansas last month, near the headquarters of the hate-mongering church.

Kim told us she enjoys razzing the homophobic folks at Westboro Baptist, even if she didn't know for certain who was responsible for the billboards.

Montell Jordan says he sees Kanye West walking the walk when it comes to declaring his Christian faith -- which is enough for him to believe what's in Ye's heart ... aka, Jesus.

The former R&B singer turned minister spoke to us in NYC about Ye's spiritual journey, and while some have questioned Kanye's motives and sincerity in turning to God ... Montell says he's taking the guy at his word (and his actions) that he's embraced Christ as his savior.

He's got a pretty good reason for that too -- noting that there's no true way to know what's in Ye's heart. But, based on outward appearances, it sounds like Montell's convinced.

Of course, Kanye's been on a performance tear lately ... going around the country with his choir collective and doing Sunday Services. He even brought it to Joel Osteen's church. He has also been fairly outspoken about declaring his love and devotion for God and JC.

Still, many have remained speculative as to whether Ye's a true blue religious guy -- considering his background ... and all the ups and downs that have come with it.

MJ touches on that too, explaining that society often judges people (especially artists) on their immediate past, despite what that person may be putting out now. He definitely knows a thing or two about it -- once upon a time, Montell was a walking one-man party.

Louis C.K. rolled the dice in front of a Jewish audience with what many might consider an incredibly insensitive joke ... but it sounds like it paid off for the guy.

The comedian was performing a stand-up show Thursday near Tel Aviv, and in front of a reportedly packed house of predominantly Jewish citizens ... he cracked, "I'd rather be in Auschwitz than New York City," adding a caveat ... "I mean now, not when it was open."

For the record, Louis is part Jewish on his father's side. And, besides that, he also got a big laugh out of the crowd, according to reports. In other words, the joke landed.

A bit of context, Louis was reportedly talking about how rough it's been for him in NYC in the wake of his 2017 #MeToo scandal -- in which he admitted to years of sexual misconduct -- notably, masturbating in front of women and abusing his power in the comedy world.

The fallout for him was pretty swift and fierce -- his movie "I Love You, Daddy" got yanked from its scheduled release, and Louis went into seclusion for a while before attempting a comeback -- which has been hit or miss, but mostly miss in the court of public opinion.

On the Auschwitz joke, he was complaining about the scrutiny he receives nowadays in the city he once loved and called home, which he seems to think has gotten too PC. At one point in his set, he joked about how he gets flipped off randomly at diners and on the street.