You Might Want to Rethink

Ronda Rousey tells TMZ Sports ... pulling out of the WWE event in Saudi Arabia would be the WRONG move, because there is SO much good that can ultimately come from it.

And she's so passionate about the event, she was fighting back tears while making her point.

The WWE superstar was out in NYC promoting Sunday's all-female Pay-Per-View event 'Evolution' -- and explaining the cultural impact it can have ... when we naturally segued into the Saudi Arabia event.

Several politicians and other high powered people have been calling for Vince McMahon to postpone the event in the wake of the Jamal Khashoggi murder and alleged Saudi cover up.

But, Ronda tells us she supports the decision to move forward with 'Crown Jewel' on Nov. 2nd in Riyadh -- based on previous experience as an athlete who's competed internationally.

"I’m a 2-time Olympian, so I’m an idealist when it comes to sports," Ronda says ... while explaining how she bonded with a boxer from Iraq while the U.S. was at war with his country.

"Nowhere else in the world would some man from Iraq and a little girl from Venice Beach be respecting each other and sharing space. And, I think that sports is where we really find that common ground with each other."

"And, I think that pulling out of the 'Crown Jewel' would be the wrong move because I think that this is an opportunity to be able to share our cultures, and to define what we have in common and in times especially when, you know, times of adversity between two countries that’s the absolute wrong time to be able to pull away."

"I think that’s the time for us to be able to find what we have in common and be able to understand each other more."

The parents who threw a party for their kid but no one came say they never meant for their sad photo to go viral ... and we're inclined to believe 'em.

Sil Mazzini, the mom of 6-year-old Teddy, whose pizza party went bust over the weekend, tells us they would never stage such a deflating event for their son ... ever.

Mazzini gives a play-by-play breakdown for those who think the soiree was staged ... explaining why pieces of the pies were missing and how the photo got out in the first place.

Check out the clip and judge for yourself ... but this mama bear's got us convinced this was no scam.

One group that definitely believes her ... the Phoenix Suns! They caught wind of the story -- as did DJ Khaled and other big-time celebs -- and they treated Teddy to a VIP experience at one of their games this week.

Ashanti is giving 50 Cent a taste of his own medicine after he dissed her hard on social media -- labeling him a social media bully while using one of his least favorite nicknames!

We got Ashanti Thursday at LAX, and asked her about Fiddy's latest attack over a concert she recently canceled due to low ticket sales. If ya missed it, he said ... "Do basement parties then it can still feel like it's lit." Trolling. It's definitely his thing.

Aside from saying he's 100 percent a bully, Ashanti put a nice twist on her rebuttal ... refusing to call him 50 Cent. Check out the vid -- she threw major shade with a title referencing an old rumor about the G-Unit boss being a snitch.

San Francisco 49ers WR Victor Bolden Jr. is suing the people who make his creatine -- claiming it was contaminated with an anabolic steroid and that's why he failed his NFL drug test!!

Bolden tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in March 2018 -- and was suspended by the NFL for the first 4 games of the 2018 season ... a HUGE deal for Victor considering he's a bubble player who doesn't make a lot of money. Plus, the 49ers later drafted a WR in the 2nd round to compete with Bolden.

Problem is ... Bolden claims he's not a cheater, never intentionally took a banned substance and believes he can PROVE it was his nutrition company that screwed him over.

Bolden's beef is with Rogue Nutrition -- which makes a product called Trident Creatine. Bolden says he started taking it in February after he was assured it was a clean, safe product.

The very next month, Bolden tested positive for Ostarine -- a banned substance -- and the NFL suspended him. The suspension cost him 25% of his 2018 salary.

In his lawsuit, Bolden claims he had the Creatine tested at the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) and it showed the product did, in fact, contain Ostarine.

Now, Bolden says Rogue should have to pay him back for his lost wages -- plus other damages (like lost endorsements and his tarnished reputation).

Meghan Markle's drop-dead-gorgeous looks are having unintended consequences for a writer, who claims PBS NewsHour canned him due to a comment he made about the Duchess' looks.

Hugh Heckman, an award-winning newswriter, is suing over his firing. In docs, obtained by TMZ, he says on November 25, 2017, a female coworker sitting 20 feet from his desk complained to her boss after hearing him say "not bad" in reference to a photo of Meghan they were using for a story.

He says another female employee overheard and chimed in, "Haven't you learned?"

Heckman says he was embarrassed because he didn't mean it in a sexual way, and only wanted to convey he thought Meghan "possessed charm and beauty and was a suitable match for her fiance."

He says 2 days later he was fired. In the suit, Heckman says he heard the same 2 female coworkers once call Justin Trudeau "hot," but they were not fired. He's pissed about what he calls an obvious double standard at PBS NewsHour.

Heckman is suing for wrongful termination based on gender. We've reached out to PBS NewsHour ... so far no word back.

Megyn Kelly will NOT be back on the air at NBC after her blackface remark, barring a major miracle ... TMZ has confirmed.

"Megyn Kelly Today" aired a repeat on Thursday morning, 2 days after she uncorked the absurd comment that it's okay to wear blackface at Halloween. Sources connected to the network tell us unless a Hail Mary is thrown and caught at some point today ... Megyn is gone for good.

The split with NBC comes the day after Megyn's emotional on-air apology where she insisted she'd learned a lesson due to the backlash.

The mea culpa was clearly a case of too little, too late for the Peacock ... which, to be honest, had issues with Megyn's show even before the blackface blowup. Translation: the ratings were terrible. They'd dropped more than 30 percent, year-to-year, in her time slot.

Another NBC source tells us it didn't help that Megyn's co-workers "hated" being on air with her. One specific example was during coverage of Dr. Christine Ford's testimony -- Megyn was part of the panel with Savannah Guthrie, Lester Holt, Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd.

We're told the other anchors and correspondents felt Megyn was way too bluntly conservative on air. Andrea eventually left the panel, mid-coverage.

The divorce -- which, we're told is more mutual than a firing -- isn't shaping up to be quick and easy. Daily Mail, which first reported Megyn's ouster, says she's hired high-powered attorney Bryan Freedman who's scheduled a sit-down with NBC ... no doubt to discuss the terms of her departure. She has a $69 million contract.

Megyn's talent agency, CAA, also dropped her.

NBC's already said it's airing another repeat of her show on Friday.

As for what happens Monday? Stay tuned ...

WWE isn't backing out of the upcoming pay-per-view event in Saudi Arabia -- saying they plan to "continue operations" in the country despite calls from politicians to at least postpone.

The event -- 'Crown Jewel' featuring Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman -- is scheduled to take place in Riyadh on Nov. 2.

Thursday morning, as part of a Q3 earnings report, the company announced the show will move forward as planned.

"WWE has operated in the Middle East for nearly 20 years and has developed a sizable and dedicated fan base," the statement said.

"Considering the heinous crime committed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the Company faced a very difficult decision as it relates to its event scheduled for November 2 in Riyadh. Similar to other U.S.-based companies who plan to continue operations in Saudi Arabia, the Company has decided to uphold its contractual obligations to the General Sports Authority and stage the event."

"Full year 2018 guidance is predicated on the staging of the Riyadh event as scheduled."

Of course, the "heinous crime" is the apparent abduction, torture and murder of former Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Some officials believe Khashoggi's death was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- though the royal family has strongly denied that.

President Donald Trump recently referred to the Saudi account of the killing as the "worst cover up" in history ... after they tried to spin multiple BS stories about how Khashoggi could have died.

"Love & Hip Hop: Miami" star Amara La Negra is totally behind Spice's decision to go white face for her album, because she believes Spice had a noble purpose and executed it brilliantly.

Amara tells TMZ, the haters who have lashed out at Spice are all wet for attacking Spice over a photo that was designed to mock those who believe light-skinned African American women are more beautiful than their dark-skinned counterparts.

As we reported, the imagery goes hand-in-hand with Spice's track, "Black Hypocrisy" on her mixtape that includes the lyrics, “(‘Cause) I was told I would reach further/If the color of my skin was lighter/And I was made to feel inferior/Cause society said brown girls prettier.”

And THAT right there is why Amara's in Spice's corner ... 'cause Amara herself has clashed with others trying to define her beauty. You'll remember "Love & Hip Hop: Miami" cast member Young Hollywood was on the receiving end of death threats after suggesting Amara get "a new look."

In short ... Amara says she gets it and supports Spice, because sometimes you gotta shake people to call attention to your cause.

Melissa Rivers hopes Megyn Kelly's mea culpa for her idiotic blackface comment was genuine -- but she's reluctant enough to check in with an African-American friend before weighing in on the apology.

We got Melissa Wednesday at LAX, the day after she was sitting right next to Megyn when she uncorked her remark that it was fine to wear blackface for Halloween. So, you've gotta see Melissa's reaction when we asked about Megyn's apology.

Remember, Melissa was part of the panel -- all white people -- sitting with Megyn when she made the asinine remark ... which might explain why she consulted a friend.

As for the apology -- Melissa hints it's simply NOT possible 47-year-old Megyn still doesn't "know where the line is."

An assistant coach for the University of Michigan gymnastics team was arrested earlier this month for having sex in public after officials say he nailed an 18-year-old member of the UM team in a car.

The asst. coach is 39-year-old Scott Vetere -- a former stud gymnast back in the day who was the 2000 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year.

Officials say Vetere and a female gymnast were doing floor exercises in a car in the parking lot of an Ann Arbor apartment building on Oct. 8 ... when they were spotted by police and arrested for performing an indecent act in public.

The female gymnast was also arrested. Both parties are due back in court next month.

A rep for the University of Michigan confirmed Vetere was "immediately suspended" when the school learned of his arrest.

He later resigned from his position and no longer works for the University.

Kanye West is gunning for another title ... the new king of rock 'n' roll.

Sources close to West tell us his team at Def Jam submitted Kanye for "Best Rock Song" and "Best Rock Performance" for his song "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" with Kid Cudi for a Grammy. The song is one of 7 from the duo's "Kids See Ghosts" album.

We're told the submissions have already made it through the screening process and were sent out on the first round ballot to voters. If Kanye's submissions snag enough support in the first round, they'll be nominated and up for the awards.

He's got a point ... 'Freeee' sounds like a rock song, loaded with heavy drums and guitars with vocals from Cudi and Ty Dolla $ign.

Our sources say Kanye's also been submitted for "Producer of the Year" -- you'll remember he did 5 albums in 5 weeks -- and his albums with Pusha T (Rap Album) and Teyana Taylor (R&B Album) are up for Grammys as well.

Bottom line -- Kanye could be ... the next Mick Jagger?

Charlamagne Tha God is as real as they come, and he kept it real with us about the outrage over Kendall Jenner's hairdo in Vogue ... saying that s*** is no 'fro.

The 'Breakfast Club' host was leaving a Barnes & Noble in NYC Tuesday -- after promoting his new book, 'Shook One' -- and told us Kendall's 'do simply wasn't an afro, as many claimed amid the backlash against Vogue and the model.

He's got a hilarious explanation for why her hair doesn't compare to a true 'fro -- and, more importantly, he says he's not offended by this "cultural appropriation." One other fun fact ... Charlamagne doesn't really care about Kendall that much. Whodathunkit?!

On a serious note ... Charlamagne's got some tips for people thinking of rocking costumes that don't reflect their own culture. The guidelines might seem pretty simple but, then again Megyn Kelly said blackface at Halloween used to be cool.

Megyn later apologized for that comment in an email to her NBC coworkers.

President Trump was dead-on when he said calling himself a "nationalist" is old-fashioned, but the old era he's referring to is called Nazi Germany ... according to Congressman Eric Swalwell.

Rep. Swalwell was on TMZ Live talking about Trump bragging he's a proud nationalist, who doesn't so much care about the rest of the world. Swalwell says that kind of rhetoric is best left in the past ... just like Nazism and slavery.

The Congressman says POTUS needs to understand there's a clear difference between patriotism and nationalism -- namely, that one is rooted in believing there are superior cultures.

Eric also takes issue with the President's response -- or lack thereof -- to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside Saudi Arabia's Turkish consulate.

Kendall Jenner is once again in the crosshairs of controversy after Vogue featured her in a new photo shoot where she's rockin' an afro ... and the fashion mag blinked.

The supermodel appears in a new Vogue story that's running in November where she's wearing a variety of Brock Collection dresses ... and sporting a 'fro-style 'do. Her hair was frizzy and teased-out (nothing like her usual style) ... and some people got pissed, claiming cultural appropriation and questioning why Vogue didn't use a black model.

People flooded the comment section of Vogue's Instagram post showing off Kendall's puffed-out hairstyle, and openly speculated about the connotations and intentions behind booking a white girl for the gig ... with some calling the move racist and demeaning to black women.

Vogue now says Kendall's hair was simply reflecting the "Edwardian/Gibson Girl" style they were going for with the Brock Collection. FWIW ... a quick google search shows that women of that era did, in fact, have similar hairstyles.

Either way, Vogue eventually apologized, explaining it did not mean to offend anyone.

Jada Pinkett Smith says she doesn't try one-upping her husband, Will Smith, and vice versa ... and that, and other stuff, is why their marriage has lasted.

Jada had a super interesting chit chat with TMZ's Raquel Harper for her new show, "Raq Rants" on BET and shot down the idea that she and Will ever feel like they're competing with one another.

It's a good thing Jada doesn't keep tallies on that kind of stuff either, 'cause Will is all over the map in undertaking spectacular feats. He just bungee jumped out of a helicopter into the Grand Canyon earlier last month for his 50th birthday.

That isn't to say Jada doesn't try keeping up -- she just jumped out of a plane herself this month after getting inspiration from Will. Let's just call it even, guys.

George Lopez and Donald Trump may finally see eye-to-eye on something after a scuffle GL was involved in last weekend at a Hooters ... according to George himself.

We got the comedian Sunday at LAX, where we asked about his run-in with a fan who claims George grabbed his neck in a video of the altercation obtained by TMZ. In our clip ... you can see what appears to be George getting handsy with the dude.

George stays tight-lipped on the whole thing -- not wanting to reveal who he thinks was at fault -- but, he does drop one interesting nugget on us ... Trump probably would've been down for the way George handled it -- ya know, 'cause of that whole body slamming thing.

In case you forgot ... Trump praised Congressman Greg Gianforte for putting a reporter on his back last year, saying anyone who could do a full body slam was "my kind of guy."